Digital Literacy

Digital literacy is defined as “those capabilities that fit someone for living, learning, working, participating and thriving in a digital society." (What is digital literacy? | Digital Transformation)
Developing digital skills and capabilities is important for the whole of the NHS workforce, to support delivery of the 'digital future.' (The Topol Review, 2019). Supporting digital inclusion in the wider community can help to reduce health inequalities and support local health and care priorities. (Digital inclusion for health and social care - NHS England Digital, 2022).
The resources on this page can help to support staff and patients in Leeds to develop their digital literacy.
100% Digital Leeds
100% Digital Leeds are working to make Leeds the most digitally inclusive city for everyone. Their website signposts a range of local and national resources and provides information on their work on digital inclusion in health.
100% Digital Leeds will be running a webinar on digital inclusion in health for Health information Week. Book here.
Resources to support digital literacy skills
These resources can support you, your colleagues, your patients and your community to develop key digital skills and boost digital literacy.
- Learn My Way is a website of free online learning for beginners, helping you develop digital skills to make the most of the online world. Register for free to access the courses, which range from how to use a touchscreen to a simple introduction to artificial intelligence.
- Technology guides | Digital Unite 400+ how-to guides covering digital topics. These guides can be used to support others with digital skills or to improve your own knowledge.
- Internet and technology learning for older people | Age UK. Range of guides for older people on online tasks and safety.
- Get started online | Lloyds Bank Academy. An online learning hub which has lessons on getting started online, learning how to communicate and stay safe and secure online.
- Barclays Digital Wings | Digital learning - your way
- Leeds Public Libraries provide digital support for the whole community, including a range of useful tutorials and videos to show you how to use different websites and apps.
- The Complete Guide to Digital Skills - FutureLearn: Introduces what digital skills are and why they are important, and offers a range of courses to support the development of digital skills.
- Digital skills: succeeding in a digital world | OpenLearn - Open University This course helps to develop people’s confidence in digital skills. It includes topics such as digital identity, digital well-being, staying safe and legal, finding and using information and online tools, and dealing with information overload:
- NHS Learning Hub Digital Skills Assessment Tool resources. A range of learning materials to help develop key digital skills.
- For LTHT staff: The DIT Learning Resource Centre (LRC) is a repository of learning resources for the digital systems available to staff across the Trust.
Guides to help patients use online health services
- NHS England has created a step-by-step guide to help people understand how the NHS app works.
- NHS England has a set of easy read guides to help people use and access GP online services: england.nhs.uk/publication/gp-online-services-easy-read-guides
- Learn My Way - accesing your online health records. A series of elearning units that include topics of registering with a GP, booking a GP appointment online , ordering a repeat subscription online and accesing your online health records:
Guidance on digital literacy and digital inclusion
Digital Literacy
- The Department for Education essential digital skills framework defines the digital skills adults need to safely benefit from, participate in and contribute to the digital world. It also includes key statistics on people’s digital skills in the UK.
- NHS Digital Transformation share resources on improving the digital literacy of the workforce, including the Health and Care digital capabilities framework.
- The Information Literacy Group website supports practitioners and researchers from around the world with an interest in information and digital literacy: infolit.org.uk/
Digital Inclusion
- NHS England's guide to Digital inclusion for health and social care (2022) is aimed at local health and care organisations to help them to take practical steps increase access to digital services for all in their communities.
- NHS England's Inclusive digital healthcare: a framework for NHS action on digital inclusion (2023) is designed to help NHS staff enable and encourage greater access to and improved experiences of healthcare, and increased adoption of digital approaches where appropriate.
- Good Things Foundation is the UK’s leading digital inclusion charity. They conduct research on the impacts of digital exclusion and effective ways to address the digital divide, including how to mitgate risks of digital exclusion in health systems
- Thrive By Design focus on tackling digital health inequalities. They created this short animation on Digital Inequity in Health, and share many other learning resources.
- LTHT's Public Health team have shared key resources on Digital inclusion.
Wednesday 29th January 12:30-13:00
This webinar led by 100% Digital Leeds will focus on understanding digital exclusion, the ways in which you can support people to overcome digital inclusion barriers, how to have positive digital inclusion conversations, digital inclusion in health and care and where to signpost people to support.